This I Promise You
by MoonlightMaiden14
Summary: -COMPLETE- Darien broke up with Serena 5 years ago to move into the dorms at his new medical school.He promised he'd be back, but Serena hasn't heard from him.She is now a senior in college and Darien returns, but is she ready to accept his love again? S
1. The Breakup

This I Promise You  
Chapter One

"But why?!" Serena sobbed to her boyfriend, Darien.

"I'm sorry, Serena," Darien said without looking her in the eyes. He could stand to see her upset like this.

"What is it? Why are you breaking up with me? Is it because I hit you sometimes? I don't do it hard and I've told you they're love taps! Or is it because I say that Orlando Bloom is so hott? Or because I call you a woman or that you don't have a brain? I've told you countless times, that I'm only teasing!! Or is it because…," Serena went on and on about the reason she was thinking that could cause Darien to end their relationship. They have been together since the year Serena was in eighth grade and Darien was senior.

"No, Serena, it's none of those reasons," Darien tried. He didn't want her to blame herself. He kept shaking his head.

"Then what the _hell _is it, Darien!?" Serena screamed at him with tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

"I'm moving," He answered in a soft voice. He wasn't sure if Serena would be able to hear it above her loud cries, but at the sudden silence, he knew she did.

"You're…what?" She whispered. There were still silent tears flowing down her cheeks and meeting at her chin.

"Moving," He finished for her, "It's been up in the air for awhile now, but I didn't want to mention anything until I was sure."

"But why are you moving?" Serena said in a little bit of a calmer voice.

"I just got accepted into medical school, Sere, but it isn't around this area. It's in another state, so I have to move there. I'm keeping my flat here and I'm going to be moving into a dorm down there. I'm going to be renting out my flat to other people until I graduate and return."

"Return? You mean come back?" Serena asked with hope in her small voice.

"Yes, of course. And when I do come back, I will find you again and we will be together for the rest of our lives. We are going to do all the things we talked about doing together. We're going to get married, have a baby and raise her to become an amazing person. We're going to grow old together, Serena. I love you," Darien said with so much love in his voice. It only made Serena cry harder.

"You…promise? I love you too and never let me go," She said through her tears and sorrow as Darien gathered her small body into his arms.

"I promise. I will never let you go. I will return, this I promise you," He promised his love and bent his face down and his lips met hers in a gentle, but firm kiss that was the seal to his promise.

_5 years later_

It was all but a memory to her now, the day of that promise. She had seen or heard from him for five years now. Of course, Andrew was still around and she would occasionally ask how Darien was doing. She would always get the same brief answer: that he was fine and not to worry about him.

Serena was only 16 when that day occurred and now here she was: 21 and a senior in college. She decided to become an author, for she loved to write fanfictions about her favorite animes when she was a teenager. Darien would read them for her and give her his feedback. She got many reviews saying she was an awesome writing. Plus, she loved to make up fantasies and plots about characters in her head. Becoming an author seemed like the only choice for her and she jumped at it. It was her last year in college, too. Soon her work would be out in the world and she would walk through Borders' seeing her creations along the neat shelves. It was her dream. She also took classes to become an artist, for that was her other choice. Her major career would be writing, but on the side for possible extra money, Serena would paint. It was perfect.

It was the usual Monday morning and Serena was just beginning her day by getting out of bed. She was never one to get up early, but over the years, it became easier. Her roommate, Mina Aino, was her best friend. They have been roomies all through college. Mina was only becoming an author, but also had some skill with a paint brush from taking art classes in middle school. They weren't as developed as Serena's were, but they both knew that if she furthered her ability, it could be great. Mina didn't want to take the extra classes, so she just stuck to the little teachings Serena gave her once in a while.

"Rena, it's time to wake up!" Mina tried to arouse the blonde from bed. If you looked at the two, you could almost swear they were twins. They both had beautiful long blonde hair and blue eyes. The only difference was that Mina eyes had a sky blue color, while Serena had a nice cerulean color. Plus, Serena had silver around the edges of her eyes, which captured the most attention.

"Mm…no…," Serena mumbled and turned to the other side. Mina rolled her eyes. It was like this almost every morning for her. At a sudden thought, Mina's eyes brighten and she went into the bathroom. Once Mina made her way out, she approached her best friend's bed again.

SPLASH!

Serena jumped up at fast as she could and ended up falling off the side, landing on her butt. She looked up at Mina while rubbing her sore spot with one hand and wiping the water off of her face with the other.

"What'cha do that for, huh?!" Serena shouted angrily. Mina smiled.

"I had to get you up somehow," Mina said, her eyes twinkling with laughter.

"Whatever," Serena mumbled, while picking herself up off the floor to make her way to the shower. About 20 minutes later, she appeared again fully dressed in a pink Aeropostale tee and faded blue jeans with a pair of black flip flops. She tied her hair up into a ponytail and had on light makeup.

"Ready?" Mina said, having changed into her own clothes before Serena even opened her eyes that morning. She decided to wear a yellow tee that had a Joe Boxers smiley face right in the center and a pair of blue jeans and also a pair of black flip flops. Some of her hair was pulled back by a yellow bow and she too had on light makeup. They never would wear their makeup heavy, except for Halloween, because they had that natural beauty.

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go," Serena said and picked up her side bag and walked out the door, Mina not far behind.

Serena quickly left her hour long first period class and headed straight for the café. She was starved! Once in awhile, she and Mina would have time to get themselves a cup of coffee before the first class began, but that didn't usually happen. Soon, Serena entered the café and spotted Mina at their usual table by the window. She waved and Serena smiled at her, while making her way over to her seat.

"Mornin'," Serena greeted.

"Good morning, Rena. How was your first class?" Mina greeted as well with a question. Serena shook her blonde head.

"Boring as ever. I can't believe I have to sit in there for an hour and listen to Mr. Johnson's dead voice," Serena said with dullness in her voice. Mina smiled sadly.

"I guess it's my turn to get the food this time, eh?" Serena asked after realizing there wasn't any food on the table. Mina nodded. Serena sighed and made her way up to the cashier with laziness in her steps. She obviously wasn't a morning person.

"What would you like today, Serena?" Katie asked her bubbly. Serena looked over the menu board to see what she wanted. She usually knew what Mina wanted, just like Mina always knew what she wanted.

"Oh…umm…I'll have two egg sandwiches with ketchup only, hold the pepper. Plus, two cups of coffee, please," Serena said in a sweet voice.

"Sure thing, Serena! That'll be $5.50, please," Katie beamed at her senior. Katie was a sophomore this year. Last year, as a freshman, Serena took it into her own hands to help her around for a few days until she got used to it. Serena paid her the right amount with no changed needed and was handed her food on a tray.

"Thanks, Katie. See ya around," She said and walked back to Mina with the food. Once at the table once again, she set the tray down in the middle and took her seat. She picked up her sandwich and unfolded the foil around it and started eating, occasionally taking small sips out of her steaming coffee. She started drinking it black, just like Darien.

Serena and Mina chattered casually, while gobbling up their sandwiches and drinking their coffee. Before long, they were finished and had to part again to go to their next class. After another hour, Serena's class was dismissed and she headed back to her dorm. Mina was probably on her way back to the dorm too, but her class was farther away then Serena's. She would most likely make her entrance known in about five minutes.

Serena was just about to turn on the television when her cell phone rang. She groaned and dropped the remote on the couch and got up to retrieve it from her purse.

"Haha! Gotcha!" Serena said triumphantly. She hit the answer button and raised it up to her right ear, "Hello?"

"Serena…?" She heard on the other end, "It's Darien."

* * *

Hi! I hope you all liked it so far. I know, I know! I should be busying myself with writing "A Boss for Christmas", but if you realize this: it's not even close to being done! Haha! My friend, Annie, told me to post the last part on Christmas day and I think that's a great idea! But it's not going to happen. Sorry. :[ I still have a lot to write.

This story line basically just popped into my head when I was trying so hard to go to sleep a couple of nights ago. Don't you hate it when you're like dead tired, but your brain and thoughts won't **SHUT UP**! Yeah, me too. Well, I hope you liked Chapter one and hope to see a review from you AGAIN -wink wink nudge nudge hint hint- for the second chapter. Till then, bye! And if I don't post before: Have a merry Christmas!! **_AND REVIEWS PLEASE!!!!!!!_**


	2. The Phone Call

Hi there! Serenity is back! Muahaha! Did you miss me? Sorry about the long wait, but holidays make life cramped. Hope you all had a wondeful Christmas. Mine was good. :D Enjoy the chapter and don't worry, I am aware that it is impossibly short! I promise a longer one next time!

* * *

"_Haha! Gotcha!" Serena said triumphantly. She hit the answer button and raised it up to her right ear, "Hello?"_

"_Serena…?" She heard on the other end, "It's Darien."

* * *

_

Serena's whole body froze In its place. Her eyes were wide with shock. She couldn't believe what she heard! _What…? Darien? W-Why is he…? I don't understand. _Serena thought confused.

"Hello? Serena, are you there?" She heard Darien say on the phone. She came back to her senses barely and tried to speak to him.

"Y-Yes, I-I'm h-here, D-Darien," Serena started stuttering terribly. She cleared her throat and tried again more strongly, "Yes, I'm here. What do you want, Darien?"

"What? Okay. What do I want? I wanted to talk to you Serena," Darien stated with astonishment in his voice at her harsh question.

"Talk to me? Oh, please! If you wanted to talk to me you could have call occasionally to check up! That would have caused no harm, you know," Serena said with hurt. She heard him sigh over the line.

"You don't understand, Sere, I couldn't. It would have only caused me more pain to be away from you. I needed to stay focused on my studies and not let my mind drift off to the thought of you," He tried to explain to her. Serena shook her head and rolled her eyes to the heavens, even though Darien could not see it.

"Don't shake your head at me or roll your eyes, Serena! I know that is just what you are doing," Darien said surprising her at his knowledge.

"W-What? How the heck did you know I did that?" She demanded. She heard him chuckle, which caused a shiver to sliver down her spine.

"I know you, Sere. I'm the person who knows you best," He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Whatever. You knew me when I was merely a child, Darien. I've grown up. I'm no longer your naïve, innocent, immature, klutzy girlfriend who was only 16 years old! I'm 21 now and I'm a senior in college. I'm at the top of my class and a lot of the lower classmen look up to me. I've worked hard over these past five years, Darien," Serena said with anger in his usual serene voice. There was a short pause on the other end.

"I see. That's wonderful, bunny. It sounds like you've developed into an amazing woman. If I may ask: what career path did you decide on?" He asked her with tranquility. Serena blinked. She wasn't expecting him to ask her that.

"I…decided on becoming an author, actually. I'm also taking side classes on art. I thought that painting pictures on the side could earn me some extra cash," She informed him.

"Really! That's wonderful and you say you're at the top of your class?" He asked furthering their topic.

"Yes, I am. My teachers say I have an incredible talent with writing. They say it's like I put art into my words and make the lines swirl with life and imagination. The same goes with my paintings. My teachers say it is quite an extraordinary gift that I can write and paint with such creativeness," She said with pride. She used to do bad in school and now she is amazing and she loves the feeling.

"Wow, Sere. I'm really impressed. You truly are remarkable," Darien complimented, which made Serena blush, "Aww, there's no need to blush, bunny."

Serena gasped, "Would you stop doing that! It's freaking me out." She heard him laugh.

"I'm sorry, little snowflake," Darien's pet names for her went unnoticed by the blonde. Darien assumed that they used to be so normal to each other; they probably just fly over her head now.

"Oh! How are you doing in medical school? You haven't killed anybody yet, have you?" She asked with a little humor.

"No, silly, I haven't killed anybody yet, but I might have to kill you just for thinking that!" He joked. Serena giggled. She moved back to the couch and sat down. She was starting to get comfortable talking to Darien again. She missed it.

"How far along are you in school?" Serena asked curiously. She heard a slight pause and an intake of breath.

"I have graduated from medical school, Serena," He breathed out slowly. Serena's mouth dropped. _He's graduate!_ She thought. Serena sat there on her couch with her mouth agape, opening and closing like a fish.

"Y-You what?!" She almost yelled into the phone.

"I graduated," Darien repeated.

"When?!" She screamed this time. Darien had to pull the phone away from his ear for a second.

"Last year, actually. I didn't call you because I wanted to get settled first. You know, find a job at a hospital and finish things up. My school is giving me some books to read to help further my study because I breezed through the years. I graduated early because of it," He said. Serena exhaled deeply and looked up at the ceiling.

"I see…," She trailed off.

"The other reason I called is because I'm coming back, Serena. I'm moving back into my flat. I got a job at the local hospital as a doctor. My school recommended me, which is why my career is moving so smoothly," He told her quickly. Serena didn't know what to think or even do. She couldn't even move. _He's coming back! That means I'll see him again!_ She thought in a rush.

"Serena, I want to see you as soon as I arrive. We could possibly get lunch or even a cup of coffee. I miss you. There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't think about you, if only for a few seconds," Darien said with so much seriousness in his strong voice.

"Oh…Darien…I don't know. I think it might be too soon. Besides, I have school and I don't know if I can get away-," She started to deny him, but he interrupted.

"No! I want to see you. We could do it on a Saturday, when you don't have classes," He tried.

"Why? Why do you want to see me so bad, Darien?" Serena asked him. She heard him sigh.

"Because…I have a promise to keep, Serena, and I intend to keep it. I'm not about to let you go," Darien said and hung up. Serena sat there for a long time just staring, with her mouth open, at her cell phone.

* * *

There you have it! I know that didn't take long to read and once again, I'm sorry. But hmm...when I uploaded this it was 2:15 in the morning. So I am tired and would like to get on the train to Dreamland. Hee hee! Have a happy New Year! Goodnight! Oh wait! Don't leave just yet! I forgot to say one thing: REVIEW:p Bye! 


	3. Two Cars and a Jail Cell

Sorry about the long wait. Chapter three is finally here and I think you'll like the humor. [:

* * *

Serena put her phone back into her purse and moved over to the couch. She sat down and laid her head back. '_Is this some kind of joke? Darien calls me after 5 years wanting to see me? I mean, yes, he did say he would come back to me after he finished school, but it's been five years! And, wait…how did he get my cell phone number!?_' Serena thought, and jumped up from her comfy couch. She grabbed her purse and car keys and raced out the door. She noticed Mina coming toward their door, but breezed past her. Serena could hear Mina calling her name from behind, but paid no attention and got on the elevator.

Soon, Serena was zooming down the highway. She slowed down some when she noticed a cop car sitting in the middle. When she believed he was a good ways away, she speeds up again. Serena got off at her exit and in a few minutes pulled in front of her destination: the arcade. She quickly parked her car in the side ally, where Andrew let close friends park, and got out of the car. She heard the bells chime as she entered through the doors and saw Andrew in the middle of serving customers. He looked over his shoulder at her and waved. Serena waved back and took a seat at a window booth.

"Hey, Serena, I haven't seen you for awhile. How's school going?" Andrew asked her as he approached.

"Hi, Andy. School is going pretty good. I can't wait till the end of the year so I can graduate," Serena said and propped her feet up on the seat in front of her.

"Whoa, that's right! You're graduating this year! You're going to have to tell me the date and time, so I can see you," He said with astonishment in his sweet voice.

"Of course, I will. I won't forget, either," She smiled, "Oh, and can I have fries and a chocolate milkshake?"

"Sure thing, coming right up!" Andrew said joyfully and almost went to make her request when a deep familiar voice stopped him.

"Typical Serena, always order a chocolate milkshake and fries," The voice said. Andrew turned to look at the owner of the voice. Serena refused to look because she could already tell who it was.

"Oh, Darien, you're here!" Andrew said cheerfully, "How you doin', man?" He asked as he pulled him into one of those 'manly' hugs.

"I'm doing pretty well, Drew. I just arrived, and thought I should start my day off with some of your good coffee," Darien said. Andrew nodded with a grin. It felt good to see his best friend home again. Past couple of times Andrew saw him, he had to drive down to his school.

"Okay, I'll be back with both orders," The waiter said and left. Darien glimpsed at Serena, who was looking at the table, and sat down across from her.

"Hey," He greeted quietly. Serena didn't want to pull her eyes away from the spot on the table's clean surface.

"Hi," She replied in a whisper. Darien didn't speak for a few minutes.

"What are you doing here?" Serena finally asked and looked up at his face. It looked the same as the last time, except for his face looked a little more mature and strong. She could tell that he got punched it would be like hitting a hard wall. Serena glimpsed over the rest of him that she could see, and noticed that he never gave up on working out, either. From what she saw, he looked _wonderful_.

"Well, my plane arrived probably about 45 minutes ago, but I had to go and get my car. Then, I decided to come here to get coffee and see Drew," He told her.

"Wait a minute; you just called me not too long ago, like maybe a half hour ago. So, when you were talking to me, you were already here?" Serena asked. Darien nodded.

"Yeah, I called when I was waiting for my car. It was nice that the first familiar voice I heard when I got home was yours," He enlightened her with sincerity.

'Well, you could have warned me!" She said angrily.

"Why?" He asked her puzzled at her anger.

"Because then I would have known to stay away from her for a few days! If I'd known that you were back now, then I would have just called Andrew instead of driving out her to see him in person," Serena whined. She barely whined these days.

"Um, why is it such a big deal?' Darien asked her. Obviously, it wasn't clicking.

"I didn't want to see you right away! I just got off of the phone with the man I was _in love_ with for so long, but haven't seen him or heard from him for _five years_!" Serena screamed at him. These past five years with out him where Hell for her, and now he's back in the blink of an eye.

"Was?" He asked quietly looking at her. She slapped her fist down on the table and yelled at in frustration. Serena got up from her seat and rapidly left Darien sitting alone. Andrew was on his way back with their order when Serena stomped out. He sat the food down on the table, and looked at his best friend.

"What happened?" He asked Darien. Darien just shook his head, paid for the food and left with out a word.

"Can someone tell me what happened?" Andrew voiced out loud. The arcade's customers looked at him, but just shook their heads and continued eating. The waiter groaned loudly and went back to work.

* * *

Serena was outside getting into her car, and was in the process of shutting her door when a hand held it open. It was Darien.

"What the hell? Let go!" Serena screamed at him.

"No! We need to talk about this, Sere," Darien said gently, not letting go of her door. Serena put the keys in the ignition and started the car up.

"If you don't let go, I'll drive with you hanging on!" Serena yelled at him. She was pressed down on the gas button, while the car was in park for effect.

"Yeah, right, you wouldn't do that and you know it," Darien laughed. Serena's eyes flashed and she put it in reverse and pressed down on the gas. Darien's eyes widen and he let go. He saw her stopped the car to reach out to close her door. Then she turned around to head out onto the road. Darien ran over to his car, jumped in and soon drove out after her.

* * *

Andrew looked out the window and saw two familiar cars zip down the road in front of the arcade. He was pressed up against the window to see where they were headed.

"Shit!" He yelled, and whipped off his apron and throws it behind the counter.

"Joe, take over! I'll be back as soon as I can!" Andrew yelled as he grabbed his own car keys.

"Wait, where are you going, yo?" 'Joe' called after his boss, but he was already out he door and gone.

* * *

Cars had to pull over to let the silver convertible and sleek black Porsche speed through the middle of the road. Darien still has his little red sports car, but was in love with his new black Porsche. Serena couldn't believe that Darien was actually chasing her like this. It was ridiculous. All of a sudden, Serena heard sirens behind her and Darien.

"Oh, damn it!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Serena saw Darien pulling over by her rearview mirror and followed his lead. Soon, a police officer came up to her window, so she pushed the bottom to put her window down.

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the vehicle," He said with authority. Serena nodded and unbuckled herself and got out. She looked over to see Darien in hand cuffs.

"Wait, why is he in hand cuffs?" She asked the officer that looked to be in his late 40's.

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to face the hood of the car and put your hands behind your back," He demanded. Serena looked at him questionably.

"What? We were just speeding. Are you taking us to jail?" She asked with fear in her voice. Serena never got arrested, and never went to the jailhouse except to bail Mina out when she was on a date. Her date stole the car they were in. The man explained to her that it was against the law to be speeding through a public street in the middle of the city, which Serena already knew, but never took it into consideration until now. He also listed her rights and the whole deal.

"Now, please, miss, don't cause anymore trouble and just get into the car," He said to her as he was leading her to the police car. Serena saw Darien already in the back seat. Another officer opened the door for her, and Serena didn't take notice of his eyes looking her over. This man was probably in his 30's and never been kissed.

"Pervert," Serena whispered under her breath as she got in the backseat. Once the door was closed, she looked over at the man next to her.

"This is all your fault," She whispered angrily at him. Darien just grunted, and kept looking at the window. Serena watched her car as they drove away.

"Wait, sir, what about our cars?" She asked the men in the front seats. The officer in the passenger seat looked back at her kindly.

"Miss, you don't need to worry about them. Other officers will be out soon to drive them to the station. They'll be fine," He smiled at her flirtatiously, but hearing Darien growl softly at him under his breath, he turned back around. He knew that Darien was at least a good foot or so taller than him and had a hell of a lot more muscle. Darien could easily take both officers out if he wanted to. Serena didn't hear his warning growl and just nodded her head, and looked back out the window.

* * *

The car soon pulled up in front of the station, and Darien and Serena were led inside to an empty cell. They put them in there, and released them of their hand cuffs. The older officer, who they learned was named Bill and the other Josh, locked the door after Josh exited.

"Now, no need to worry, we just put you in there for safe keeping. We don't want to risk anything," Bill said, "We'll be back later once we've got this figured out. You both have one phone call each. This officer here is Frank. Let him know when you want to use your phone calls." Bill and Josh then left them alone.

There were wall benches that were made from concert that lined the three walls of the cell. Serena sat on one side and Darien sat on the other. They sat in silence for awhile.

"I can't believe you, Serena," Darien broke the silence. Serena looked over at the big man.

"Me? You're the one who followed me," She said. She was trying not to get angry.

"Yes, but you're the one that sped up," Darien retorted.

"So, you started chasing me!" She yelled at him.

"Hey!" Frank yelled at them, "Keep it cool in there." Darien and Serena both said sorry and returned to silence.

"Hey, can I use my phone call, sir?" Serena asked politely, and walked out to the bars. Frank looked over at the pretty lady and smiled.

"Sure, doll face," He said and grabbed his keys to let her out. Once Serena stepped out, he took a hold of her elbow and led her to the phone. "You've got two minutes."

"Okay," Serena said and began pressing the numbers to call Mina's cell.

"Yellow?" Mina picked up. Serena smiled at her greeting. It never changed.

"It's me, Mina," Serena said.

"Serena! I was wondering what happened to you! I saw you race out of our room, but before I could ask anything you-," Mina started to ramble.

"Mina, quiet, please!" Serena said quickly, "I need you to come and get me."

"Okay, where are you?" Mina asked her best friend. There was a pause.

"In jail," Serena finally said with shame.

"WHAT?!" Mina screeched. Serena had to yank the phone away.

"Why the hell are you in jail?!" Mina yelled.

"Mina, I'll explain later. Just come and get me, please!" Serena said with desperation.

"Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll see you soon, stay there!" Mina said in a rush.

"Where am I supposed to go-," Serena started, but Mina hung up. Serena put the phone back, and was led into the cell again.

About ten minutes later, Serena could hear Mina's voice throughout the building. Soon, two blonde heads were in front of their cell.

"Mina!" Serena cried with joy, and got up to race to the bars. They tried their best to hug each other. Darien also got up.

"Andrew, what are you doing here," He asked the dirty-blonde man. Coming up behind his friend were Bill and Josh.

"You both can go, but with a warning. No more chasing each other through the city streets, ya hear?" Bill said, and Josh said 'yeah' and winked at Serena. She gagged mentally, but smiled at them anyway. Frank came over to unlock the cell.

"Oh, thank God!" Serena cried as she was pulled into a hug.

"Don't you ever do that again, young lady! You almost gave me a heart attack! Someone could have raped you in here!" Mina shouted at her with tears in her eyes. She looked over at Darien and glanced at his body.

"Hmm…so that was your accomplice, eh? Nice…," Mina mumbled with satisfaction. Serena groaned and pulled her friend along. They were soon out of sight.

"So, Darien, how do you feel now?" Andrew asked with a goofy grin. Darien looked over at him.

"Pretty damn good," He smirked, "I like challenges and that's just what Serena is."

"It's good to be home," Darien said and walked swiftly out of the building with pride in his step. Andrew just laughed and soon followed behind.

* * *

Lmao. Sorry, I just loved this chapter. And it's pretty long. Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned and once again sorry about the long wait. Reviews are really appreciated:

-MoonlightMaiden14


	4. The Painting and Silver Tears

_Wow! What a long wait, I know! I'm am so sorry about that. I've had this chapter partially written for awhile now, but I finally decided to sit down an finish the chapter. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

When Serena and Mina got back to their dorm Serena fell down on the couch. Mina sat next to her friend waiting for an explanation.

"So…what happened?" Mina began. Serena just groaned, and took a deep breath.

"When I got back from class my cell rang. It was my ex-boyfriend, Darien," Serena started to explain, but was interrupted by Mina.

"What?! _The_ Darien? The one you have been pining over for the past five years?!" Mina asked with wide eyes. Serena blushed slightly.

"Yes, that's him. Anyway, he called and at first we started talking like usual, but then he told me he graduated from medical school! I was blown away. Then he drops the bomb of returning home, and that he wanted to see me right away. After we got off, I went straight to the arcade to talk to Andrew. I didn't have time to even bring it up because Darien walks in! He sits down with me, and we begin talking. I didn't have many nerves left so I exploded on him for really no reason and stormed out. In the end, he ended up chasing me in his car down the street. We got arrested for no reason! We didn't even get a warning or a fine because all we did was speed. Whatever. I'm just glad it's over," Serena told her the situation. Mina just blinked.

"Wow," She breathed, "I never knew you were capable of such actions."

"Mina!" Serena laughed lightly hitting her on the arm. Mina laughed.

"Okay, just don't do it again unless I'm with you. You can't keep all the fun to yourself, you know," Mina joked, "How about a movie?"

"Okay," Serena agreed, "Let's watch…Beauty Shop!"

The girls had a good time with that hilarious movie.

--

Once again, Darien was back at the arcade. This time he sat at the counter with a hot cup of black coffee in his hands. Andrew was standing in front of him drying a glass. Darien didn't want to talk about it because Andrew already knew what happened.

"So…," Andrew started not knowing what to say. Darien just grunted.

"Does she look any different?" Andrew knew that would get him talking. Darien glanced up at his best friend and sighed.

"Yeah, she does. She isn't an innocent 16 year-old, anymore. I could tell in her eyes," Darien commented softly. Andrew nodded agreeing.

"Yep, that's right. She painted a picture last year, and gave it to me. She said that she didn't have a reason to keep it, and thought I might like it," Andrew said. Darien raised his eyebrows.

"Do you still have it?" He asked. Andrew grinned.

"Of course! It's hanging in the office," He told him. The two men then went to see the painting in Andrew's small office. Darien spotted it as soon as he walked in. It wasn't that big of a painting, about normal size. Serena painted a picture perfect sunset on a beach. There was also a girl in a white dress sitting alone on the beach. She had her knees up to her chest with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her back was facing them as she watched the beautiful sunset in solitude.

"Wow," Darien breathed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Andrew said.

"Yeah, it's amazing. I never knew she had such a talent," Darien commented as he walked up closer to the painting. He looked closely at the girl. You could see some of the one side of her face.

"She's crying," Darien said softly. Andrew walked up next to his friend.

"What?" Andrew asked. Darien pointed to the girl's face.

"She's crying," He said again. Andrew looked closer, and sure enough she was.

"Hmph, I never noticed," Andrew said as he pulled his hand through his hair. Andrew never noticed, but it was the first thing that Darien saw. Serena drew a lonely portrait.

"Do you think it's based on something?" Andrew mused, holding his chin.

"Yeah," Darien said. Andrew raised his eyebrow at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Her life," Darien said, and walked out the door with his hands in his pockets and his head down.

--

_Serena was running as fast as ever. She couldn't see a foot in front of her through the pouring rain. She kept running trying to reach him. Serena didn't want him to go. She saw a red sports car zooming further up the street. Serena needed to catch up to it._

"_Please, don't go!!" She shouted, but her plead was drowned out by a crack of thunder. She ran out into the abandoned street, but slipped on a puddle. Serena fell hard onto the cold ground in tears. She knew she wouldn't be able to catch him in time. She put her hands to her face and just cried._

"_Please, don't go. Darien, please, I love you…," She trailed off in misery. The scene faded off with the sound of rain, the distant sound of a speeding car, and the crying of a heartbroken girl._

Serena's eyes slowly opened to the darkness of her dorm room. She reached up to feel the wetness of tears on her face.

'_Why do I always have random dreams like that?_' She thought as she rolled over to face the wall. Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the front door. Serena twisted her body, and looked towards the bedroom door in confusion. She looked over at Mina's bed to see her still fast asleep. When Serena heard the knock sound again, she reluctantly went to answer the door, but not before she grabbed one of her high heels. You know, just in case.

"Who could be here at this hour," Serena asked herself, "Who is it?"

"Serena, just open the door," A male voice called back. Serena slowly opened the door just slightly to peak out, her heel was being tightly held in her grasp. She saw a tall man with dark features standing their waiting. Serena opened the door wider.

"Good evening, Serenity," Darien said in a low voice with a smile. Serena stepped back in shock.

"Darien, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I wanted to see you," He said, "May I come in?"

At first, Serena hesitated, but she let him in anway. Darien stepped into her and Mina's dorm, and looked around. He eyed the three doors probably assuming one was the bedroom and the other was the bathroom, but the third he wasn't quite sure of.

"Thank you. This place looks cozy," Darien commented. Serena smiled at the compliment.

"Thanks. Mina and I decorated it," Serena said gesturing to the furniture and pictures. Darien nodded.

"Oh, you can sit down if you'd like," Serena said nicely as she walked over to the white couch.

"White couch? Isn't it hard to keep clean?" Darien asked curiously as he sat down.

"It can be, but we don't eat on it; at least we don't normally. We eat in front of it on the floor," Serena told him, "I like sitting on the floor when I eat with my back propped up against the couch."

There was a moment of awkward, uncomfortable silence. They didn't know what to say to each other, especially after their last encounter. About ten minutes passed by in complete silence. Serena was beginning to fidget from the moment.

"I saw the painting that you gave Andrew," Darien spoke up breaking the silence. Serena turned to look at him.

"You did?" She asked surprised, but then quieted down, "Wh-What did you think?"

"It was very good," Darien said, "You've got talent, Serena."

Serena blushed at the forward compliment, "Thank you."

"Do you have anymore that I could possibly take a look at?" Darien questioned. Serena perked up.

"I do actually!" She said happy to show off her hard work. Darien followed her into one of the other rooms. This one wasn't a bedroom or bathroom; it was a mini art studio. Darien was surprised that they had one inside a dorm room.

"You have an art studio inside a dorm room?" Darien voiced his thoughts. Serena nodded.

"Yeah, but we had to pay more since we got a dorm with an extra room," Serena said. Darien nodded in understanding. He looked around with inquisitive eyes at the works of art all over the room. One particular painting caught his eyes, though. It was of a girl with long silver hair with her back turned away. She wasn't wearing anything except for a thin white sheet wrapped loosely around her body. Half of the girl's face was facing them, but once again Darien noticed the lonely, silver tear the trailed down her pale face. The background was mostly dark except for a silver-white sphere hanging in the sky, which Darien believed to be the moon. The girl had remarkable blue eyes that had specks of silver. They were Serena's eyes.

"Serena…," Darien trailed off as he walked over to look at the painting more closely. Serena turned around and gasped at what he found.

"Oh, no! I forgot that I had that one out!" Serena cried, but she knew he saw it anyway. Darien turned to look at Serena's angelic face.

"This painting is probably the best piece of art work I've ever seen. I can actually feel the emotions radiating from it. You did a remarkable job on it," Darien complimented sincerely.

"T-Thank y-you," Serena's voice cracked. Darien stood up as she sniffed up her tears.

"Why are you crying?" Darien asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I've just been a mess ever since you've left, and painting has helped me greatly," She cried trying to wipe all her tears away, "But hearing you compliment my work…it just makes it all come pouring out."

"Oh, Sere," Darien whispered pulling her into his arms. He let her cry softly for a few moments. Finally, she began to pull back. Serena went to wipe her remaining tears away, but Darien grabbed her hand gently.

"The girl in the painting reminds me of a lonely, moon maiden," Darien whispered softly, "She reminds me of you. Besides, you have her eyes…and you shed silver tears."

"Oh, Darien…," Serena sniffed, "I can't help it. As much as I hate to admit it…I'm still in love with you."

Darien smiled lovingly down at the petite girl trying to contain all of her emotions inside. He knew all these years she was lonely, and he was sorry for leaving her, but now…he knew they'd become stronger. He stilled love her too. He wanted his princess back.

"Serena," Darien began, "I've always loved you and I'll never stop ... _this_ I promise you."

Serena coughed up even more tears then before. She ran back into Darien's arms again. Oh, how she missed them. Darien leaned down slowly to kiss her gently on the lips for the first time in five, long years. It was a sweet, longing kiss that made them both wanting more, but right now ... all they wanted to do was hold each other.

And they did.

_One year and some days later..._

Serena made that painting about her emotions six years ago after Darien left her for medical school. It was never exposed to the public during that period of time. After Serena graduated college, she decided to give up its public virginity and sent it to be displayed at the college. The only difference was that right next to that masterpiece was a new one. This one was of her and her love, Darien, standing quietly on a moonlit beach holding hands. This time…Serena was smiling proudly next to her prince.

_The End_

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Wasn't that sweet? Yeah, I know! I can't believe it's over! I was going to go more chapters, but I had a major blank. I had no idea where else I wanted to take it from where it was now. And the situation at the beginning was perfect for the reconcile of our two lovebirds. Besides, it was a cute ending, right? I'm proud of it, actually.

Well...thanks for reading "This I Promise You"!! We had fun, didn't we? :D

REVIEW!!

Bye!

MoonlightMaiden14

P.S. Want to read more? Check out my other creations! :)


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